Journal of Agroecology and Natural Resource Management p-ISSN: 2394-0786, e-ISSN: 2394-0794, Volume 4, Issue 3; April-June, 2017, pp. 203-207 © Krishi Sanskriti Publications http://www.krishisanskriti.org/Publication.html Diversity of Traditional Leafy Vegetables in Two Villages of ‘Kaptai’ Reserve Forest, ‘Rangamati’, Bangladesh Md. Rishad Abdullah 1 , Md. Eakramul Haque 2 , Md. Mustafizur Rahman 3 and Md. Solaiman Ali Fakir 4 1,2,4 Bangladesh Agricultural University 3 Chairman, Plant Conservation and Research Foundation E-mail: 1 rishad.abdullah@gmail.com, 2 eakramul.bari@gmail.com, 3 pcrfbd@gmail.com, 4 fakirmsa@bau.edu.bd Abstract—A field survey was conducted during May 2015 to May 2016 to determine the diversity of the used traditional leafy vegetables (both cultivated and wild) in two tribal villages of Kaptai Reserved forest, Rangamati, Bangladesh. A total of 60 households (more than 45% population) in the two enclaves of the locality were surveyed by semi-structured questionnaire. Plant species were collected and preserved in herbarium sheet and were brought to the laboratory for identification consulting Monograph and Taxonomist. A total of thirty six species belonging to thirty four Genera and twenty four families of foliage vegetables found to be utilized by native tribes. Of these, nine were cultivated and nineteen were wild and rests of the eight species were both from wild and cultivated. Considering growth habit, twelve species were annual and twenty four were grown seasonally. Among the species Ajuga macrosperma of Lamiaceae, Cardiospermum halicacabum of Sapindaceae, Chenopodium album of chenopodiaceae, Cissus repens of Vitaceace family were rarely found in the wild. In each of the locations, landless farmer used larger diversity of leafy vegetables. The small farmers of the locality were dependent on the wild vegetables and most of them were available year round. Several leafy vegetables were found to be consumed primarily due to their nutritional values without much concerning health importance. The results of this study showed a remarkable diversity of therapeutically useful foliage vegetables inside the surveyed location. It further indicated the potentials of those plants in enhancing nutrition and health care of average villager’s against the face of harsh condition. It further indicated the demand for concern on the conservation of these leafy vegetables (especially those in wild) is stressed so as to safeguard them for future generation and avoid their genetic erosion. Keywords: Diversity, Traditional Leafy Vegetables, Conservation, and Kaptai Reserve forest and Bangladesh. 1. INTRODUCTION Leafy vegetables are referred to leaves of any plants used as vegetables, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leafy vegetables typically return from ephemeral herbaceous plant like Amaranths and Spinach. Leaves of woody plants consumed as vegetable includes bauhinia, Ficus, Moringa and so on hold a vital place in well-balanced diets (Singh, 2015). They constitute a major portion of our diet and play a vital part in assuaging deficiency disease. FAO (2012) calculated that about 870 million individuals were inveterately malnourished in the period 2010-12 representing 12.5% of the world population, or one in eight people. In order to arrest the undernourished scenario, much attention has been paid on the exploitation and utilization of uncommon plant materials for food (Kawatra et al., 2001; Diniet al., 2005). In Bangladesh agriculture produces around ninetieth of its food need together with cereals and vegetables (FAO/WFP CFSAM 2008). There are 141 types of leafy vegetables (commonly called shak) and twenty five varieties of non-leafy vegetables in Bangladesh (Maksuda, 2010). Among the leafy vegetables, 97 items are known as ethnic varieties, and the rest are consumed by each the general and ethnic people. A good range of shaks grow as weeds or throughout cultivation of alternative crops. Many of the poor and landless people rely on these native foods (SANFEC, 2005). Out of 186 leafy vegetables identified by Khatun et al (2013) in Bangladesh, 140 taxa are wild and forty six are cultivated. Among the cultivated ones 16 species are cultivated solely as leafy vegetables and thirty are cultivated for alternative functions, however additionally used as leafy vegetables. Leafy vegetables are principally consumed for his or her nutritional values while not abundant thought for their medicative importance (Scalbert et al. 2005). There are many varieties of these leafy vegetables either within the wild state or beneath cultivation in rural areas. Many thousands of wild species of plant offer necessary sources of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This is very true for both the poorest and the wealth socio-economic groups of the people (Akhtar 2001; ICIMOD 2010; Aryal 2010). In remote rural societies where vegetable cultivation isn't practiced and market is not on the market for native inhabitants, they should be addicted to regionally on the market plants those will used as vegetables. Ethnic people from numerous tribes have been started domesticating wild edible and helpful plants by trial and error technique. That was the base of contemporary